Archive for May 2014

What better colour to welcome the sunshine into your home than a soft pretty Primrose or bold lemon Yellow? Yellow is said to produce a warming effect, make us more cheerful and boost our energy and mental activity, so it’s the perfect colour to pep up our homes this season.

This uplifting and elegant Primrose Yellow will create a welcoming feeling in any room. To create a country cottage look, accessorise with white accents and lots of fresh flowers.

This is a softer take on the Yellow trend, although still in keeping with that country look. We’ve matched this Cherry Blossom floral fabric in Lemon with muted stripes and patterns to create an understated feel.

Yellow works particularly well with pastel hues. Pale natural woods and copper accessories finish off the look perfectly whilst giving it a quirky edge.

Monochrome schemes look great with bursts of yellow, and can brighten a moody dark room. Mustard shades work well to balance lots of Black and White in a room.

Yellow can be a strong colour so it may not work in every home, but if you would like to add a slash of sunshine to your home or discuss any other trends contact Plumbs today, and one of our expert Home consultants will be able to talk you through our huge range of fabrics and colours.

Blue is a colour we never seem to fall out of love with in, whether that be feminine Duck Eggs, deep Grecian hues, or bold and glossy tones, going blue is a look that can work for every home.

Teals

Teal (named Dulux colour of the year 2014) is a great choice if you want to avoid anything too dark or cold. This versatile shade will work in almost all designs from refined and sophisticated to bold and retro.

This striped Brecon fabric adds colour to a classic design, by using a complementing fabric with a thin Teal stripe on the chairs the look is pulled together without being overpowering. The use of dark woods gives the design a timeless quality.

This stunning teal wallpaper has a distinctly retro feel when teamed with the bold canary yellow of these sixties chairs. Prints like this, also look great when paired with metallic accessories.

Inky Hues

Deep inky blues look great when kept simple with white accents. Ikat style fabrics and prints can work particularly well in this deep moody shade and can be used in any room of the home.

Ombre/Dip-Dye

Ombre (to fade colours into each other) has taken the fashion industry by storm, being seen anywhere from fabrics and accessories, to hair and nails, and like all trends this is steadily making its way into our homes.

Blue is one of the most workable colours dominating this trend, and can be used on curtains, walls, accessories and even woods, such as this chair below. By fading any shade of blue into neutral creams and off whites you can create a relaxed bohemian look. If you’re feeling brave you can find many tutorials online on how to create your own ombre piece, and gain that all important ‘hand-made’ look.

Sky Blues

Teaming this sultry blue colour with black, white, and pops of sunshine yellow creates a clean modern look. This colour looks great against angular furniture and natural woods.

Blue is a great colour on its own or is versatile enough to work with a number of different colours and designs. If you’re unsure about which shades to incorporate into your home, why not start of by introducing a few smaller items such as throws, cushions, and artwork. Alternatively you can always speak to a Plumbs Home Consultant, who can advise on a wide selection of furniture fabrics free of charge.

*This competition is now closed

Vote in our Twitter Competition and you could win a newly reupholstered chair!

Please welcome Roger, the rattan relic, and Freya, the floral firecracker, as they go head-to-head in a battle for survival! Plumbs have intercepted these two chairs on their journey to the scrap heap, but only one can be saved... And their fate rests in your hands.

Who stays? You decide!

Click on the links above and show your support for the chair you think deserves a new lease of life. Who knows – the winner could soon be sitting in your living room!

Both Roger and Freya have their strengths, but who will be victorious when the two contestants compete for their chance to be fully refurbished?

Which will be reupholstered and returned to its former glory? And which will be eliminated, cast aside for a destiny on the scrap heap? (we’ll actually recycle the loser – no extra landfill, honest!)

Voting is easy –

Simply click either chair to tweet your support for the one you want to save.

Those that tweet to save the eventual winner, will automatically be entered into a competition to win the chair that has been crowned victorious.

Once votes have been counted and the results are in, the competition winner can then choose how they’d like their chair to be reupholstered, from a range of selected fabrics*.

*Terms and Conditions

The competition will run for 4 weeks until the 12/06/14.

Only 1 entry per twitter user will be counted (where more than 1 entry is made, both entries will be classed as void).

This competition is open to UK residents over the age of 18 only.

The draw will be made at random from all entrants who voted for the chair with the most overall entries. The winner will be able to choose a fabric from a range pre-selected by Plumbs – no other will be made available.

The winner must accept the item as it is provided and no adjustments may be made.

The winning chair will be delivered within 12 weeks of the date that the winner is announced. We can only deliver to areas of the UK that are covered by our Reupholstery delivery service – please contact us for more information.

By entering into the competition you agree to be involved in promotional activities if you’re drawn as the winner – this will include, as a minimum, photography with the winning chair and a photo of the chair in your home/office.

There’s no doubt about it: white furniture can look particularly effective in certain surroundings. It can provide a room with a clean, bright and fresh ambiance, which often works to make the room look bigger at the same time. Place the wrong piece in the wrong area however, and it’ll stand out like a sore thumb.

We’re taking a look at some of the styles where white is definitely right.

Monochrome

Ok, so it’s more of a colour scheme than a style, but if you already have a monochrome space at home, you’ll know the stunning effect that can be created from the sleek and simple contrast of black and white. Nothing says ‘classy’ quite like it! Stick to black and white for one room and you’ll never have to worry about colour schemes again – clashing shades and complex colour schemes can be a thing of the past!

French Provincial

Elegant and romantic, the French provincial look welcomes the use of pale colours and luxurious fabrics. It’s the point where pretty and classy meet. White furniture in the form of a French Bergere chair, or an ornate, white mirror can look particularly chic. Add a chandelier to complete the look. Don’t be overdoing things though – one too many ornate mirrors can be too much and you may be in danger of making your room look tacky.

Minimalist

A minimalist space oozes sophistication, and white furniture can really set it off when done right. On first impression, it seems like an easy enough look to create. After all, it’s all about simplicity, so how hard can it be? This is probably the type of room where white furniture works to greatest effect. Opt for modern pieces with clean, sharp lines and you’ll be left with something sleek and sophisticated that creates a real feeling of Zen, for anyone entering the room.

Unfortunately, the minimalist look isn’t always as simple when it comes to upkeep. That’s because, naturally, clutter tends to accumulate as you go along. It doesn’t take long before clean white lines and bare surfaces start to get marred with meaningless knick knacks, so make sure you stay on top of clutter clearance – there no point having your white furniture covered in rubbish!

Beach house

From bathrooms to patios, the nautical, beach house look can create a serene and relaxing environment that doesn’t look too try-hard. Laid-back, fresh and tranquil is the vibe. Think simple – white, crisp linen sofas, fold out chairs and white, washed-out wooden cabinets – as long as it has an air of beach-side brilliance, you’re on to a winner!

Shabby chic

Now here is a look that you can really have fun with. You don’t necessarily even have to buy your white furniture if you don’t want to; it can often look even more effective if you buy a piece of furniture and paint it yourself! You can then create the worn and weathered piece of white furniture that really adds charm and character to the room.

One way to do this, which can be particularly effective, is to buy a wooden room divider. Even if you aren’t going to use it, they can look great when simply propped up against the wall. They can easily be sanded down and painted and there are several guides online that will guide you through creating the look.

If you’d rather not have to do the work yourself, you can buy a nice piece of white furniture that’s already fit for purpose. There are a few options that look at home in rooms like this, but a Louis XV chair can look particularly nice and adds an elegant touch.

So regardless of your style, you shouldn’t be afraid of white furniture; there’s always a way to make white furniture work for you. All it takes is a little research and shopping around, but the reward from finding that perfect piece that really set off your room, is priceless.